Workshop on the Application of an Ecosystem Approach for development of Sustainable Aquaculture in Europe s Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories Session 3: Stakeholders presentations Ecosystem perspective on ORs & OCTs Carole Martinez International Union for the Conservation of Nature Global Marine and Polar Programme INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 1
7 European Overseas regions 34 EU Overseas entities, linked to 6 Member States: FR, UK, NL, SP, PT, DK 25 OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) & 9 ORs (Outermost Regions) 5 Global Biodiversity Hotspots; > 70% of EU s biodiversity but also as many endangered species as Europe mainland From tropical to polar regions >150 islands rich in biodiversity and unique habitats World largest marine territory occurring in all large oceans; combined EEZ 15 million km 2 5 EU Overseas entities protected > 10% of their marine territory - some of the world s largest marine protected areas (MPAs) 2 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 2
7 European Overseas regions Common, interlinked threats Habitat degradation Climate Change Unsustainable development Pollution Overexploitation of natural resources Invasive alien species (IAS) Socio-economic & political challenges No integrated approach to marine management 3 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 3
Common threats to Europe Overseas Climate Change >150 EU overseas tropical islands More frequent and severe storms Ocean acidification impacts Already damaged ecosystems will be effected by rising sea levels Habitat degradation Increase of invasive alien species Polar and sub-polar regions Loss of unique habitats and biodiversity with melting ice caps Combined effects of ocean acidification, trophic changes, evolution & fish stocks not yet known Unsustainable development EU overseas are rich in natural resources Extraction of minerals, oil & natural resources Degradation of coastal ecosystems Overfishing EU overseas have fewer capacities Pollution/poor waste management Maladaption to climate change (e.g. Sea walls) Unregulated tourism No integrated approach to marine management & spatial planning à Negative consequences for economy and ecology 4 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 4
Common challenges as chance for sustainable economic development q Potential to pioneer the transition to renewable/green energy q Eco-tourism q Building capacity: education and awareness on natural resources q Establishment of protected areas for recovery of habitats & species q Regional cooperation on ecosystem-based approaches (e.g. IAS, management of PAs and KBAs) q Parks and reserves as resources for education, employment and income q Sustainable use of ecosystem services q Establishment of regional platforms for skills and technology exchange q Development of regional strategies & management plans BEST Initiative 5 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 5
BEST a partnership of regional actors in EU Overseas BEST central team BEST III working team Caribbean Macaronesia 7 regional teams Amazonia South Atlan;c Indian Ocean Pacific Polar and Sub- polar Technical support (website & graphics): Data support: 6 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 6
The BEST Initiative is... Partnership of EU Overseas players with a central coordination team & 7 regional hubs with local expertise and networks Integrative, participatory, science- and field-based approach Flexible, tailored scheme for ORs and OCTs Accessible by small and larger organizations Comprehensive strategy to develop Regional ecosystem profile (EP), Regional conservation strategies & Long-term sustainable funding mechanism Supported by the European Commission (EC) Looking for long-term partners and synergies with other donor programs to foster ecosystem-based solutions Website & newsletter: http://ec.europa.eu/best 7 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 7
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Development of Regional Ecosystem Profiles (EPs) Based on CEPF methodology Establishment of status quo of regional biodiversity and ecosystems Participatory process through local consultations & workshops with local stakeholders Compiling of data bases, bibliographies, reviewing of key documents and assessment of existing data! Generating new data 9 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 9
Regional Ecosystem Profiles include: Inventory of local species & habitats (incl. identification of data gaps) Context of socio-economic & political situation Identification of threats and pressures on biodiversity Assessment of conservation status, needs & current investment Identification & prioritization of key biodiversity areas (KBAs) Prioritization of conservation activities Identification of regional investment niches in conservation 10 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 10
Regional Ecosystem Profiles (EPs) as basis for Design & selection of on-the-ground conservation projects Elaboration of regional investment strategies with local stakeholders Development of governance and management structure Guiding tool for regional and local decision makers Regional factsheets à Sustainable regional development 11 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 11
18 BEST conservation projects supported by EC ( 2 million) More projects to be funded in OCTs by EC ( 6.5 million) BEST 2.0 Caribbean (4 projects) Macaronesia (1 project) Amazonia (1 project) *... * Global (2 projects) South Atlantic (1 project) Indian Ocean (3 projects) Pacific (4 projects) Polar and Subpolar (2 projects) 12 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 12
Merci pour votre attention www.iucn.org francois.simard@iucn.org 13 INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 13